Allure Insiders Outrageous Beauty: The Rock 'n' Roll Massage

I don't do well with massages. I'm super uncomfortable and talk the whole time and pretty much make everyone involved feel weird.

But for this months' Outrageous Beauty, I GOT A DAMN MASSAGE. Did I survive? Did I act like a creep? Is there a shot of my tramp stamp? All of these answers and more on this video. Watch if you're into it.



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Get That 90s Beauty Vibe, In Completely A Non-Tragic Way

They say, whoever the hell "they" are (Illuminati?), that fashion and beauty trends are cyclical, and everything comes back after about 20 years. That means we're smack dab in the middle of the 90s again. I've totally been there and done that, in middle and high school, and it was all terrifyingly terrible. With those feelings in mind, I've taken these boomeranged 90s beauty trends and given them a slightly modern tweak, so I can avoid flashbacks of the most awkward time in my life. Now I will be able to continue living like a friggin' human being, for the most part, without having to listen to a "Jock Jams" compilation album on repeat.

Chocolate Rain Nails

Yes, I used a "Chocolate Rain" reference in 2014. I know not what I do. The bad mofos at Floss Gloss sent me a sample of Blood, Suede & Tears a while back, and I have never gotten around to using it until now. There's a reason for my madness -- I have deep-seated issues with chocolate brown nail polish. It was my polish du jour (for every jour) in high school, so I'm almost still burned out on it. Like the Celine Dion Titanic song. It's all still filed under "too soon" in my brain.

But then I actually TRIED this polish, and it's pretty damn boss. I decided to top it off with my OPI Matte Top Coat to give it a more leathery look, and it looks 0% like my high school nails, but still has a hint of that 90s vibe. IN YOUR FACE, 1998!

Brows to the Max

my down ass brow pencil and well-loved anastasia brow powder

Okay, so maybe the 80s are the most known decade for big ass brows, but I refuse to think about sperm-y eyebrows of the mid to late 90s. I can't. I'm talking those lush-to-death Linda Evangelista brows that just won't quit. Those things are bad boys for life. (You know Puffy's going to try to sue me now.)

The biggest, boldest brows are built in two steps. (And in a day. Take that, Rome!) First, create the shape of the brows you want with an eyebrow pencil that's a couple of shades lighter than your hair color. Because this is the part that really shows on your skin, and doesn't stick to your hair, you don't want the pencil to be dark and super obvious. After you've penciled up, fill-in the stencil you've created with a slightly-darker-than-your-hair brow powder. Always follow the direction of the hair growth of your brows, to keep them looking natural and non-tattoo-like. Viva la bushy brows!

Kate Moss-esque Zero Effs Grunge Hair

The queen of 90s-I-don't-even-care-about-anything-I-just-happen-to-be-hot-and-my-boyfriend-is-Johnny-Depp hair is obviously Kate Moss. I mean, look at this picture. It's so meta 90s that you want to scoff your a-hole off. And Kate's like, "Wheeee! I just woke up this way! Next to Johnny mf-ing Depp in his sexy prime! I have quirky and adorable teeth! I kind of paved the way for Kirsten Dunst! I never got a thank you letter for that, but I'll let it go! Frozen! Adele Dazim! Isn't my hair so damn recklessly fabulous?"

Here's the best thing about this 90s hair resurgence: it's perfect for lazies. It really looks best with air-dried, messy hair, and this takes almost zero effort. And, really, second-day hair works even better, if you can stand it. I usually can't do second-day hair sans chapeau (thanks, seven years of French) but I treated my slightly oily hair here with the Jonathan Dry Dirt spray, which I was given a sample of, to sop up a little grease and add some texture and volume. My non-blow dried hair is limp as the limpest noodle (insert your own dirty joke, freak-a-leeks), so I've been using Dry Dirt on the daily, and it's the perfect mix of texture with a teensy bit of hold. The cherry on the 90s hair cake (that's disgusting) is a deep side part, so part it up. Okay, where's Johnny Depp? Side note -- how often do you think JD washes his hair? Twice a month, tops, I bet.

Gloom n' Doom Lips

Remember, like, seven paragraphs ago when I told you I was almost irreparably damaged in my beauty brain by my own brown nail history? I pretty much felt the same way about dark lips, man. As you can see by Exhibit A above, I really favored dark brown lips in my teenaged years. So when the dark lipped trend recently bared it's beautifully monstrous head again, I had to find a way to flip the script to let the darkness back into my life, without feeling like I was participating in a horrible Freaky Friday-like experiment.

I achieved this by pretty much living and dying by this picture of Lily Collins when it comes to dark n' lovely lips. Instead of a brown-ish based lip, I favor deep reddish burgundy, like Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame. For maximum impact, I keep the rest of my mug relatively on the down low and let my lips do the talking. It's like my old school brown lip game, with a new school twist. As for my choker collection, it's been put out to pasture. Sorry, world, I'm not ready.

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Eff Your Twerking, Miley Cyrus. This is the Real Sh*t.

No, not the part I'm about to show your asses. The good good is in a minute. But for a reference point, I first have to share something of myself. I'm a twerker lite. (Does MTV still make those True Life shows?) And because I knew you b's would be all "whaaaa...." I made a very short video of lite twerk.

I'm clearly not on an effing twerk team, or any cool ish like that, but I like to fancy myself at least a decent judge of said twerk. And by now you've all seen Mi Cy's gangly ass twerk vid. That mess ain't NOTHING compared to these dudes' mad, mad skills.


via buzzfeed

That head boo can WERQ DAT AZZ, man. Why can't I be a gay man wearing a loin-cloth-type-garment from Brazil? Life's so unfair. And I'm going on a diet. I need to fit into mama's twerkin' shorty shorts by summer. (Dammit, I'm eating nachos.)

P.S. Try not to give me TOO much sh*t for my skills. I'm a middle-aged woman. Be kind to your elders.






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Should I be Turned On, or Weirded Out Right Now?

via ohnotheydidn't

Mario Lopez's wife tweeted this picture are few days ago, and it's making me feel all kinds of confused. Even the Windex bottle feels awkward, and had to turn away. On one hand, it's Mario Lopez, and he's pretty hot. And it's a picture of dude ass. On the other hand, homeboy's decorating a Christmas tree with a toddler. It all feels borderline illegal in my bathing suit area.

Ugh. That's curly mullet gets me every time.



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I've Been Listening to a Helluva Lot of SWV...

And I think I sound pretty, pretty good with the harmonizing, ladies. And don't worry, I've created an alternate album cover.

I'm pretty sure I've got this in the bag. Email me.



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Ballerina Beauty: Vicariously Living My Dreams Through Pink Products

Confession time: I'm kind of obsessed with ballerinas. Okay, that sounds super creepy. I'm not going to Black Swan anybody or anything, no need for restraining orders. I did ballet (and then pointe) for something like 12 years.

My first, albeit chubby, ballet recital picture.

In my dreams, I would be a prima ballerina. But here's the thing -- I'm barely five feet tall. That ish ain't happening. Ever. So I quit when I was in my teens, and became the lazy b that I am today.

So now I obsessively watch ballet TV shows whenever they are on, including the new ones: Breaking Pointe and the upcoming Bunheads. And I live my "mess with never happen" dreams through ballet-like beauty products, like any weird, passive aggressive person would.

Tarte Amazionian Clay in Amused, $25

I have had the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in a couple of shades for several months, and I totally love them. They last forever on your skin, and the colors are really pretty. This super pinky color, Amused, just reminds me of ballet. (Is that weird?)

LAQA & Co. Fat Lip Pencil in Lambchop, $20.95

The good peeps at LAQA & Co. sent me this fat lip pencil to try, and it is pretty freakin' fabulous. It's easy to use, the packaging is gorge, and the color Lambchop is bright and beautiful. And ridic pink. Which are all pluses in my book. And did I say it's pink? Get it? Ballet?

OPI in Otherwise Engaged, about $8.50

This OPI polish has been my go-to pinky nude for years and years. It doesn't look streaky, like a lot of nudie (ha ha, nudie) shades tend to do. And it's pretty much the exact shade of ballet tights. (Am I getting creepy now?)

Tube sock...Preferably clean.

Yep, that's a tube sock up there. The most ballerina-y thing is a bun, obvs. And the easiest way to get a sexy ass ballet style bun is with a tube sock. See how to get the goods in my top knot tutorial below.



Sorry if this post reeked of unfulfilled dreams and childhood tears. I'm going to go slather pink stuff all over myself and hang upside down from some crazy contraption to try in attempts to make myself taller. BRB.




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I Don't Think I'm Ready (For This Jelly)

I was walking around the mall the other day, because I'm old and that's what old people do, when I came across these gems:

What the eff, guys? Are we REALLY doing this again? Not that these earrings weren't my ride or die Claire's favorites back in the day, but daaaayyyyumn. I also came across a pack of scrunchies. I'm stressed. Will I be waking up some time in the near future wearing this again?

Yes, I am that b.

I don't know if I have that kind of money in my balloon budget.

Or, perhaps this is in my future (again):

Limited, Too was my jam.

I look like a sister wife. But, damn, I wish I had that collar bone back.  P.S. How did we live before flat irons? That is one unfortunate hair situation.

Here's one of my favorite fashion history moments:

A baby pink Members Only/Michael Jackson 'Beat It' hybrid jacket? Yes, please. I would still rock that mess.


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